TWO DIANAS IN ALASKA 195 



bidarkas, to take us to the headwaters of the Kus- 

 kokwim, thence to trek with us across the divide 

 between that river and the Sushitna, and carry our 

 stores, trophies when we got any ! as we hunted 

 the country we should traverse. On meeting the 

 band of natives to be sent up from Cook's Inlet by 

 Captain Clemsen, the men from this settlement at 

 the mouth of the Kuskokwim could return to their 

 homes. 



The affair seemed most difficult to arrange. The 

 general impression and consternation which we 

 created could not have been more acute had we been 

 calling for volunteers to accompany us on an expedi- 

 tion to the North Pole. I imagine it was because 

 the trip was an up-stream affair, therefore a hard 

 nut to crack. All the Alaskan tribes look with suspi- 

 cion on anything which they have not personally 

 seen and sampled for themselves. These men did 

 not know the river so far up, nor guessed the exist- 

 ence, so far as we could gather, of the great divide 

 which lay between the rivers. Unknown bits of any 

 world must be bad. The chief thought so, and the 

 men followed suit. 



" Him say no good, you bet," said Steve, method- 

 ically. 



Never strike sail to the fear of a native, I Say, 

 and the Leader agreed with me. Indeed, the more 

 difficulties the Innuits set in the way the more resolved 

 seemed the Leader to overcome and overthrow them. 

 As a real leader should do. It always seems to me that 

 a man fitted by nature to lead and govern others 



